History Main / BossArenaIdiocy

** Goroth creates massive spikes around his arena. Players use them as shield against his more powerful attacks.** The Desolate Host has mechanics that impact both the physical and spirit world. If it weren't for a set of braziers that allow players to freely shift between realms, the spirit enemies would be safe from attack.** The Antoran High Command has three bosses who rotate in and out of pods capable of spewing high damage attacks. Not only would they be safe from attack if they stayed in the pods and just rained hell down on the players from there, but they also leave the pod open. The special abilities granted to players by the pods are the only reason the fight is possible on higher difficulties.

** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball'' is '''''[[ExaggeratedTrope Entire Game]]''''' Arena Idiocy. All these pinball-themed levels are Robotnik's "Pinball Defense System". Meaning that at some point, Robotnik ''specifically decided'' to design his entire base to be vulnerable exclusively to his mortal enemy's oldest signature move.

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** ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehogSpinball'' is '''''[[ExaggeratedTrope Entire Game]]''''' Arena Idiocy. All these pinball-themed levels are Robotnik's "Pinball Defense System". Meaning that at some point, Robotnik ''specifically decided'' to design his entire base to be vulnerable exclusively to his mortal enemy's oldest signature move. [[MST3KMantra You're clearly not supposed to think about it]].

* In ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', the mop and bucket were part of a feint; the Witch had enslaved Dorothy (being unable to kill her or worse due to the North Witch's protection spell), and she was trying to get the Silver Slippers by having Dorothy trip while washing the floor. She just hadn't expected Dorothy to finally lose her temper.

* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' plays service to this trend in the fight against Bowser at the beginning of the game: you fight on chandeliers held up by Chain Chomps, so instead of attacking Bowser, you can just attack the Chain Chomp (though oddly averted in the fight against Boomer on the same chandeliers later, now held up by Shy Guys. You can't attack the Shy Guys, though [[spoiler:Boomer attacks ''his own'' Shy Guy after losing.]]

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* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' plays service to this trend in the fight against Bowser at the beginning of the game: you fight on chandeliers held up by Chain Chomps, so instead of attacking Bowser, you can just attack the Chain Chomp (though Chomp. (Though oddly averted in the fight against Boomer on the same chandeliers later, now held up by Shy Guys. You can't attack the Shy Guys, though [[spoiler:Boomer attacks ''his own'' Shy Guy after losing.]]]])

** And let's not forget the very ''first'' game; the Green Hill Zone boss would be unbeatable if he didn't decide to strike in a screen with floating platforms.** And ditto for the Star Light Zone boss, which would be impossible to reach or harm if it didn't drop its bombs.

* The Dragon God in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' would be unbeatable...if it weren't seated right between two huge ballistas pointed at its shoulders, put there by the Burrowers in case it ever ressurected.* ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and their remakes have [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible something similar]] to this. Lt. Surge is an electric-type gym leader. Yet he built his gym in a city with a cave full of Diglett and Dugtrio, ground-types that are immune to electric attacks. He can be tough to beat, but catch a couple Diglett before going in, keep spamming Dig, and you'll breeze through.** The Pokemon gym leaders make a bad habit of this. [[Main/BlowYouAway Skyla]] keeps her gym right outside a cave full of electric types (and if you someone managed to avoid catching a Joltik, Tynamo, or Boldore in Chargestone Cave, she makes you to go north on Route 7, where high-level Zebstrika hang out). [[Main/PlayingWithFire Blaine]]'s gym is on Cinnabar ''Island''--you need a Pokemon that knows Surf, a powerful Water-type move, to even get there in the first place. And an NPC standing outside [[Main/PoisonousPerson Roxie]]'s gym flat-out tells you that Virbank Complex, just a few steps to the south, has Magnemite: a Steel-type that's completely immune to Poison-types.

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* The Dragon God in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' would be unbeatable...if it weren't seated right between two huge ballistas ballistae pointed at its shoulders, put there by the Burrowers in case it ever ressurected.* ''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' ** Similarily, ''VideoGame/DarkSouls2'' has the Pursuer, a flying LightningBruiser optional boss that is blatantly impossible to beat for new players and even experienced players if they haven't min/maxed with the right weapons, upgrades, and build... except for his second potential appearance taking place on top of a wall with, again, two ballistae that remove a huge chunk his health every time they hit. Getting the timing down is a pain, but even solo it makes the fight trivial compared to straight brawling with him.*''VideoGame/PokemonRedAndBlue'' and their remakes have [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible something similar]] to this. Lt. Surge is an electric-type gym leader. Yet he built his gym in a city with a cave full of Diglett and Dugtrio, ground-types that are immune to electric attacks. He can be tough to beat, but catch a couple Diglett before going in, keep spamming Dig, and you'll breeze through.** The Pokemon gym leaders make a bad habit of this. [[Main/BlowYouAway Skyla]] keeps her gym right outside a cave full of electric types (and if you someone managed to avoid catching a Joltik, Tynamo, or Boldore in Chargestone Cave, she makes you to go north on Route 7, where high-level Zebstrika hang out). A similar situation happens with Brawly and a cave full of ghost-type, fighting-immune Sableye, [[Main/PlayingWithFire Blaine]]'s gym is on Cinnabar ''Island''--you need a Pokemon that knows Surf, a powerful Water-type move, to even get there in the first place. And an NPC standing outside [[Main/PoisonousPerson Roxie]]'s gym flat-out tells you that Virbank Complex, just a few steps to the south, has Magnemite: a Steel-type that's completely immune to Poison-types.

* In ''VideoGame/YookaLaylee'', the ice-themed boss of [[SlippySlideyIceWorld Glitterglaze Glacier]] can only be damaged by fire berries, which are conveniently obtainable within his BossRoom. This is duly {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d:-->'''Brrreeze Blok''': I knew that buying that 'Scorchberry' bush would come back to haunt me!

** The mirror-located Cataquacks (due to the mirrors themselves tilting due to the weight of Mario as well as the Cataquacks themselves) and Wiggler (due to the sand dunes that grow instantly when Mario waters them) in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''.

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** The mirror-located Cataquacks Plungelos (due to the mirrors themselves tilting due to with the weight of Mario as well as the Cataquacks themselves) and Wiggler (due to the sand dunes that grow instantly when Mario waters them) in ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine''.

* In ''VideoGame/ThetaVsPi7'' King Pi is impervious to wizard powers and can only be harmed by jumping on his head (or using a shield, though that only gets you one of the needed hits). He is however too tall for Theta to reach from the ground. Thankfully his throne serves as a handy jumping off point. [[spoiler: The trope is then invoked when King Teth attacks and destroys the throne, leaving you with no way to reach him, only for King Pi to become your ally so you can use him as a jumping off point to get to Teth.]]

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